Helmet use in kiting is no longer a new thing, far from it. It is true lots of kiters don't use helmets but it is also true that a number of us have been using them for many years. I think we have come to the point to where it is fair to say, if you haven't used it, at this point for years, how well grounded are your insights and views on actual benefits and drawbacks?

We all have opinions and even those who have never even put one on may have some good input. At the same time, if you haven't used appropriate helmets for years, how much actual insight do you have to be telling folks not to use them? More kiters have broken their necks without helmets than with them just as more kiters have been concussed without helmets than with them. They aren't magic nor will they protect you from all impacts or even death in extremes, still they may do some good if you have one on. Kiting helmets need to be appropriate for the dynamics of of the sport however.

Wear a helmet or not, that is up to you to choose hopefully on the basis of information derived from actual long term experience and not reasoning alone.

Who said that?
You should improve your reading and reasoning skills -
not the first time that I thought that.

well said, Rick!

There are more longlived kiters without helmets than longlived kiters with helmets - but this fact still is no scientifically sound basis for either.

How many years of experience do you have kiting with a good helmet on?

Indeed, that's still a question. And by no means an answer, nor a rhetorical question.



Again you miss the statistical explanation.
Because only 1% uses helmets, more neckbreaks without.
I fear it will increase when helmets are used more often.

I did as much factfinding as I could: measuring and calculating.
But it's not sufficient.

In total about a year with helmet, seven years without.
Different helmets (see other posts), comfy and warm.
I don't care how it looks.

From my experience with and without, and the neck risk (=occurrance*impact),
my temporary (eager for more science) policy is:
When kiting from a rocky, narrow beach, with strong or gusty onshore wind, or waveriding overheads I protect my head by wearing a helmet.
When kiting from a wide, flat beach with stable sideshore winds, I protect my neck by not wearing a helmet.
And hope I don't hit my board with the back or side of my head - for my face a helmet wouldn't help.

Do you crash on the water a lot?

I have worn a helmet for every session over the last twelve years. Before that, I picked and chose when to wear one for two years prior to that. In hindsight not wearing one all the time was a dumb choice on my part. You can't readily predict when you will have an accident. A number of us have learned that the hard way. Also, all my kiting accidents have been on sand beaches. I hit a house, got dragged over 150 ft. one time and 125 ft. in another. I hit my head in only one of those three accidents, there have been many other lesser cases however. Sand hits plenty hard and you never know how you will hit either. Could have had head impacts in all three accidents it just didn't work out that way. Also, I wear a lid which helped in the lesser impacts of which there have been many.

Yes, I have had numerous high speed wipeouts against water over the years, more than I can count. Some from pretty high up too, a few of which may have come close to knocking me out I suspect. For all I know the helmet may have stopped that from happening. The impacts can hurt all sorts of things, so I have worked to tone it down in recent years.

Well, it works out differently if you're dragged 150 ft. over the rocks, you do know that.

Not trying to insult your intelligence. I mean you have to be a pretty smart guy if half of your head is 1.7 liters as you've told us

I think your decision that helmets are more harmful than helpful for the majority of kiters is wrong. Every beginner has to make this decision, and some will make it based on information here. I'm pointing out where I think your reasoning is wrong so others can make an informed decision.